MILFORD, Conn., May 19, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- The SUBWAY® restaurant chain, which celebrated record breaking growth in 2013, is poised to open about 3,000 new locations worldwide this year.

"Location, location, location is still the mantra," said John Devine, Director of Subway Real Estate. "We continue to provide our customers with convenient locations to enjoy our great menu offerings. At the same time, we continue to offer landlords and developers a proven, stable and trusted tenant for their real estate."

The SUBWAY® chain currently has more than 41,800 locations worldwide with restaurants open in 105 countries. In total, SUBWAY® franchisees lease nearly 48 million square feet of property around the globe.

"We are always looking to forge ahead with new opportunities in traditional shopping centers, malls and free standing locations, as well as non-traditional venues such as hospitals, colleges, sports arenas and airports," said Chris Kan, Training and Business Promotion Specialist for Subway Real Estate. "From 300 to 2,000 square feet, SUBWAY® restaurants come in all shapes and sizes. Because of the chain's unique business model, which has minimal equipment and space requirements, a SUBWAY® restaurant can operate just about anywhere."

The SUBWAY® brand was named one of the Top 10 Franchises for 2014 by Entrepreneur.com and the Number One franchise opportunity by Franchise Direct in the Top 100 Global Franchises list. In addition, the Produce for Better Health Foundation just awarded SUBWAY® the Industry Champion award for the promotion of fresh vegetables.

The SUBWAY® brand was also chosen as top Quick Service Restaurant for availability of healthy options by Technomic 2014 consumers' choice and was named Quick Service Restaurant Brand of the Year by 2013 Harris Poll EquiTrend®.

Real estate professionals interested in submitting a property for consideration, or to learn more about what the SUBWAY® chain is looking for in new sites, can contact Chris Kan at the Subway Real Estate office at 800-888-4848, extension 1434, or by e-mail at kan_c@subway.com.

SUBWAY® Real Estate representatives will also be at the ICSC RECon (booth #S2800 in South Hall 3 & 4, between N Street/28th Ave.), through May 20th, in Las Vegas.

About SUBWAY® RestaurantsHeadquartered in Milford, Connecticut, the SUBWAY® restaurant chain is the world's largest restaurant chain with more than 41,800 locations in 105 countries. Long-time leaders in offering consumers nutritious options on-the go, the brand became the first quick service restaurant in 2012 to meet the American Heart Association's Heart-Check Meal Certification Program nutritional criteria. With a robust online social community, the SUBWAY® brand engages daily with consumers from around the world. For more information, visit http://www.subway.com, like us on Facebook.com/subway and follow us on twitter.com/subway. SUBWAY® is a registered trademark of Doctor's Associates Inc.